Tulsa Animal Welfare Explains Ordinance Requiring Residents Provide Shelter For Pets

Spring is here in Oklahoma and with it comes some severe weather and tornado season.

The City of Tulsa recently passed a new animal ordinance measure, requiring animal owners to provide shelter to any outdoor pets or to bring them inside during certain weather conditions.

Sherri Carrier with Tulsa Animal Welfare was here to talk more about this ordinance and what animal owners need to know as we get through spring and into summer.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Tulsa Animal Welfare.

Why was this ordinance created?

"We wanted to update standards of humane care. And make sure that the community knows to take care of their animals, educate them, give them opportunity to be able to correct anything that they may not know that they're doing wrong."

What might be some things pet owners are doing wrong?

"Well, animals need to be clean, sanitary environment. They need to be able to run freely with the size of the animal so that they can get exercise. They need to have access to food and fresh water, not chained by one mechanism. We've seen, you know, some smaller animals chained with a large chain. They can't move about freely. They can't have access to water or food. They need to be provided with a shade structure when it gets hot. And they need to know to bring their animals in when we have heat warnings and tornado warnings."

How does TAW try to intervene if owners aren't keeping up with the ordinance?

"So if we get any information about a resident that needs assistance, or if we get a call about an animal that someone's concerned about, we send out one of our animal control officers. And if we need to escalate that to an investigator, we'll send an investigator out to the address."